Air New Zealand ‘Appalled’ Over Staff Blow-up Doll Posts

After questionable photos and video of Air New Zealand staff emerged, the airline’s management stated that they were “appalled” and investigating the matter.

The posts, which came to light earlier this week, show a pilot with a blow-up doll in the cockpit and a flight attendant spitting water through the cabin with the caption, “Wish I could spit on passengers like this.”

One staff member no longer works for the airline and another two have been removed from duty pending the result of the airline’s investigation.

“It goes without saying that this is a situation we are treating with extreme seriousness - and our obvious concern is that the behaviour displayed is a clear breach of not just our code of conduct but basic decency,” a spokesperson for the airline told the New Zealand Herald.

The video is believed to have been recorded over four years ago, and the photographs are about a year old, however information about the posts didn’t reach Air New Zealand officials until this week. They are thought to have been originally posted on Snapchat, and then reposted on Facebook and Instagram.

This is already the second time this week that airline staff have come into hot water for photos taken while onboard an aircraft. On Monday, three IndiGo pilots were suspended for a week after posting selfies taken in the cockpit.

Cailey Rizzo writes about travel, art and culture and is the founding editor ofThe Local Dive. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter @misscaileyanne.